Putin tones down rhetoric on Ukraine

YALTA, Crimea (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin traveled to a much-hyped meeting in Crimea amid expectations of more saber-rattling over Ukraine, but he instead struck a conciliatory note and called for peace in a speech Thursday that received surprisingly brief coverage on Russian television.

Putin’s cautious statements and the terse reports in state media could signal a Kremlin desire to de-escalate the worst crisis in Russia-West relations since the Cold War. Putin’s remarks contrasted with hawkish speeches by senior lawmakers in a carefully choreographed performance apparently intended to contain the nationalist fervor that has become a problem for the Kremlin.